Making progress - the plasterers come in

Progress on Kirsten's bathroom renovation project, now that the previous fixtures have been ripped out the walls have been replastered and reskimmed. Read More...

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To renovate your bathroom, first you must destroy it...

Kirsten's bathroom renovation project continues - check out the 'before' photos and the beginnings of the destruction. Read More...

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My next project - a new bathroom

I’ve finished both the bedrooms, I’ve painted the hallway, there’s only one room left for me to tackle and then the whole of the upstairs is finished. The problem is that room is the bathroom. Now I thought about refinishing it rather than redoing it, but my bathroom is in an utter state. Read More...

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When the finish is important - get in the professionals

Galvanised by finishing off the front room, I decided that I wanted the living room done too. Of course you don’t always get what you want. I knew from the schedule of works I’d done, there was no point in doing the floors in the living room until the kitchen and bathroom were finished. But, I reasoned, I could do everything else. Read More...

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Plasterer price: How much does plastering cost?

When you're hiring a plasterer the hourly rate they quote will cover their labour and all materials. Plastering is a highly skilled trade, and it's worth paying someone good to get the best finish possible. It's always worthwhile getting recommendations for a plasterer or asking to see examples of their work. Read More...

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How do you tell if you need to restump or reblock your home?

Many Australian homes have a foundation of stumps. Wooden stumps to support your house were common up until the most recent years when concrete stumps became more popular. The reason why concrete stumps became more popular is because wood can only be expected to last between 20 and 80 years depending on the type of timber, soil conditions and other factors like drainage and pests. Archicentre has said that up to 30% of timber stumped homes need an immediate full or partial restump, so your house could very well need to be restumped. What are the symptoms of stump rot or movement? Read More...

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Why does plaster crack?

Plaster is common in Australian homes, and so are plaster cracks. But why are there cracks and are they serious? Read More...

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Replastering or replacing plaster board?

Why does plaster crack? Once it's cracked, what are your options to fix it? Read More...

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What kinds of renders are there?

Lots of different brands of render, but there are three main types. Cement, acrylic and solid plastering. Read More...

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How is rendering done?

Rendering is a process that should be done by a professional. Unfortunately, rendering isn't really something that you can really patch up if part of it isn't quite right, and it's tricky to get the consistency and application done right. Steps involved in rendering... Read More...

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What is rendering?

Everything can be rendered. You can render a graphic image, render lard, and render results. Rendering is also used in film-making, but most importantly it's also a substance that's applied to brick, concrete, stone, earth or cement surfaces - often to hide imperfections and add aesthetic appeal. What are the benefits of rendering? Read More...

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How to repair holes in plaster

Got a hole in your plaster wall that needs to be fixed? This simple guide will walk you through fixing big and small holes, as well as giving some quick advice on how to fix cracks in plaster Read More...

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Service Central helps repair storm damaged Melbourne

Melbourne has turned to Service Central to help repair the damage done by the massive storms that hit the city this Labour Day weekend. Service Central's army of tradespeople have helped Melbournians repair their hail damaged homes, fix leaking roofs, and mop up all of the water left after the weekends deluge. Read on for the full details. Read More...

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Top tips for painting new plaster

So you’ve had your walls re-plastered and you’re desperate to get on with painting them. The first thing that you’ve got to remember is that the new plaster must be absolutely dry before you do anything to it at all. Painting on wet plaster doesn’t work. Here's some tricks to drying out your plaster faster and painting the plaster once it's dry. Read More...

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Fixing rough or textured walls

If your walls are badly uneven, rough and textured, you can try to fill and sand them back. If that doesn't work you have two additional options. Read More...